Plan For Rotorua Control Change

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29745, 12 February 1962, Page 12

Plan For Rotorua Control Change

(New Zealand Press Association) ROTORUA, February 11.

The Rotorua Borough Council is considering a plan for a take-over of Tourist and Publicity Department holdings (excluding electric power) in Rotorua, involving about £329,000.

The scheme will be discussed at the monthly meeting of the. council’s finance committee on Monday evening and once a decision of the council is available a direct approach will be made to the Minister in Charge of Tourist and Health Resorts (Mr Eyre) and the Minister of Works (Mr Goosman). Involved in the council take-over will be the Government gardens, Blue Baths, Ward Baths, main bath-house, portion of Kuirau reserve and the Whakarewarewa thermal region. At this stage the suggestion is that the Government hand over the facilities on the basis of a total payment to the council of about £329,000.

This will probably be payable over a 25-year period, with £25,000 in the first year reducible by £lOO each year. Money thus received by the council will be channelled for maintenance and general control. Asked to comment on the suggestion of the change in control, Mr Eyre said the Government was waiting for the Borough Council to make a suggestion. Mr Eyre said a deputation from the Rotorua Borough

and County Councils had met Mr Goosman and himself in Wellington recently. The local bodies had been given authority to inspect the accounts of the various Government enterprises.

The Mayor of Rotorua (Mr A. M. Linton) today confirmed the take-over scheme was being considered. “The Ministers suggested that we (the Borough Council) should consider a takeover of the department’s activities, independent of the electric power which would be the subject of subsequent discussions with the departments concerned," he said.

“Various forms were suggested for the take-over, subsidised by the Government, and these will be considered by the council’s finance committee next Monday."